Rail-fastener.



W. VANDBRGOOK, JR.

RAIL FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.6, 1910. RENEWED AUG. 9, 1911.

Patented Sept. 12, 1911. 5 9

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WESLEY VANDEIRCOOK, JR., OF LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA.

RAIL-FASTENER.

' Specification of Letters Patent. Patehted Sept. 12, 1911. v

Application filed February 5, 1910, Serial No. 542,247. Renewed August 9, 1911. Serial No. 643,218.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVnsLEY VANDERGOOK, Jr., a citizen of the United States, and resident of Lake Charles, in the parish of Calcasieu and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification. I My invention is an improvement in rail fasteners and consists in certain novel constructions and combination of parts, herein after described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to provide a means of the character specified, for holding the rail to the tie, and to prevent the so called creeping of the rail, due to the movement of the rolling stock over the rail and to expansion and contraction.

Referring to the drawings forming a par hereof, Figure 1 is a plan wiew of a portion of a rail provided with the improvement, Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section, Fig. 3 is'a perspective View of the anchor plate.

Fig. t is a partial horizontal section view of one end of a gripping plate, and Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4e.

As is well known, one of the greatest difiiculties encountered in the maintenance of way, is the creeping of'the rails, due in part to the causes above mentioned. This difiiculty is especially marked in double track roads,.when the traffic over the rails is in one direction, and on all roads with heavy grades, on which the rails tend to move down hill. To overcome this tendency of the rails to creep, and to securely anchor the rail to the tie, I provide an anchor plate 1, substantially rectangular in shape, seated on the tie 2, beneath the rail 3, and with its largest dimension transverse to the rail and parallel with the length of the tie. The said plate is provided on its under face with a plurality of longitudinal ribs 4, each of which has a sharp edge, the ribs being parallel and spaced apart from each other, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3. On its upper face the plate is provided at each end with a transverse rib 5, and near each end of each rib is an opening 6, for receiving a spike 7, the openings being at the four corners of the plate. Each of the ribs 5 is provided on its inner edge with a plurality of semicircular recesses 8, spaced apart from each other, and from the ends of the rib, and the plate is provided with an opening 9, in each of said recesses. The length of the space between the ribs 5 is greater than the width of the rail base 10, and the plate is so arranged that the rail passes across the center of the said space, at approximately equal distances from the ribs 5.

A plurality of bars 11 and 12 are provided, the said bars being arranged in pairs, a pair on, each side of the rail, and the outer ends 13 of the said bars are rounded to fit the recesses 8, and provided with openings 14:, reg1stering with the openings 9. of the plate. The opposite end-of each bar seats beneath the base 10 of the rail, and is provided with a transverse rib 15,-spaced away from the said end and the side wall of the rib adjacent to the rail engages the edge of the base, and is provided with a lip 16 fitting over the edge of the base. A .bolt 17 passes through the registering opening 9 and 14 from below, and is held by a nut 18, a washer 19 being interposed between the nut and the upper face of the bar. The bars 11 and 12 are brace bars or struts, seating at one end against the side walls of the recesses, and at the other against the edge of the rail base. As shown in Fig. 1, the bars'on each side diverge from each other at their outer-ends, and the portionv 20, which seats beneath the rail, being bent laterally with respect to the main portion, the portion 20 of the bars 11 being bent in the opposite direction to the I portion 20 of the bars 12.

The improved fastening means is prefora'bly placed at the center of the rail, and the top of the anchor plate between the ribs is smooth, as is also the bottoms of the bars 11 and 12, so thatthesaid'bars may move freely over the plates. The upper faces-of the portions 20 are provided with teeth 20 so that considerable friction obtains between the said faces and the bottom of the rail.

The face between the lip 16 and the portion Q-O'WlliCll engages the edge of the rail base is also toothed as shown-at 1G-.

A spike 21 is driven through an opening 22 in the plate 1, between the adjacent inner corners of each pair of plates, and engages the edge of the rail base, and the said corners.- are rounded, so that the spike head willnot bind against the said corners, when driven home. The said spikes, as will be evident, in addition to holding the rail 3 and anchor plate to the tie, act with a wedging aetwe- [-25 n x 1 "Then-arrangement of the'ribs 4 substan- I toifoirce the bars on each side away from Qjf I 1,003,306

each other, and tightly against the flange of the rail. A

. Inoperation, the passa e of rolling stock over the rail,in either irection should it move the rail even the slightest longitudie nallyg will swing the bars on the bolts, and

[cause thecorresponding members of each pair-to more firmly grip the rail between the inner walls of the ribs l5; .The corresponding bars of each pair form a series of r i clamps, whose jaws under usual conditions frails, ,whieh the fastener is designed to prevent, furnishes the power to restrain the said. 20

gr'aspthe rail, but when the rail moves lon- -gitudinally, this grasp is tightened, and the more marked the movement, the firmer becomes the grasp of the jaws of the clamps. It will be-evident that the creeping f the movement.

The'jdevice may be described as consisting of a plurality of pairs of gripping jaws, one member'of each pair arranged one on each 'side of the rail, and operated bythe longitfndinal' movement of the rail.

- "fti'ally parallel vwith .the length of the tie, and consequently with the gram of the tie, prevents an'y lateral movement of the anchor tplate assist in this, as do also the spikes at ythe center. 1 i

The proved anchor plate is preferably of steel,-and the ribs 4 and 5 act also as re- .-:inforces to strengthen the plate longitudinally,*.and transversely, and the said plate '1 maybe. inade insizes corresponding to the weight' of'the rails'used. jTIt, will be observed that the transverse rib 4'0 spei zt'to." the longitudinal center ,of the said 10f the clamping bars is inclined with rebar,'-in order to constrain the bar to take an inclined position with respect to the rail,

when the rib is engaged with the rail, and that the ribs of the bars on thesame side of the rail are inclined in opposite directions. .j I claim V g :'-1.'-;'In combination with the rail and the ties, of an anchor plate arranged transversely of the rail at approximately the center thereof and resting on the tie, said plate aing a semicircular'recess near each end in a-lip overlying the same, the-members of I 'each pair of bars diverging from the rail, and having their' edges adjacent to each.

' posite end bent laterall plate, and the spikes at'the corners of the 7 other at said edge, a spike passing through the plate between said edges and engaging the rail base, and means for securing the anchor plate to the tie.

'2. The combination with a rail, of manchor plate arranged transversely of the rail and at approximately the center thereof,

and provided on'its lower face with longitudinal ribs, and on its upper face with a transverse ribateach end, each of the inner Walls of the transverse ribs having a rounded recess near each end, abar for each recess and having arounded end engaging the recess, each of said bars having its 0pand away from the bar on the same sie'of the rail and underlying the rail, each bar having a transversenb on its upper face engaging the edge a of the rail and provided with a lip overlying 'said base, said plate having means whereby it may be securedto a tie, and a spike passing through the plate on each side of the railand engaging the rail base between the bars, and contacting with the bars.

3. The combination with a rail, of an anchor plate arranged transversely of the rail and at approximately the center thereof,

and provided on its lower face with longitudinal ribs, and on its upper face with a transverse rib at eachlend, and each of the inner walls of the transverse ribs having a rounded recess near each end, a bar for each recess and having a rounded end engaging the recess, each of said bars havin lts opposite end bent laterall and away ram the bar on the same side 0 the rail and vunderlying the rail, each bar having a transverse rib on its upper face eng-aging the edge of the rail and provided with a lip overlying said base, said plate (having means whereby it may be secured to a tie. v

j 4. The combination with the rail, of an an chor plate. arranged transversely of the rail and at approximately the center thereof, and provided on-its lower face with longitudinal ribs, and on its upper face with a transverse rib at, each end, each of the inner walls of the transverse ribs having a rounded recess near" eachend, and a bar for each recess and having a rounded end, en'- [gaging the recess, each of said bars having its opposite end bent laterally and away from 'the bar on the same side of the rail and underlying the rail, each bar having a transverse rib on its-upper face engaging the edge of the rail base and provided with a-lip overlyin said bar.

'5.The com ination with the rail of a' plate arranged transversely beneath -therail,

said plate having serrations on its under face and having a rib on its upper face on each side of the rail and spaced apart therefrom, a pair of bars on each side-of the rail,

theouter ends ofthe bars abutting the ribs, bolts passing through the said outer ends and the plate,.and each of said bars having at its opposite end a rib engaging the edge of the rail, and a laterally bent portion underlying the rail, said rib having a lip overlying the rail, and the laterally bent portion of each bar extending in the opposite direction from the portion of the other bar on the same side of the rail.

6. The combination with the rail, of a plate arranged transversely thereof and having a roughened under face, and provided with means whereby it may be secured to a tie, said plate having a rib on its upper face on each side of the tie and spaced therefrom, a bar pivoted to the plate near each side edge on each side of the rail, the outer end of each bar abutting against the adjacent rib, and the inner end underlying the said base, each of said bars having a transverse rib with an undercut sidewall engaging the base of the rail, the bars on each side ofdthe rail converging toward their inner en 5.

7. The combination with'the rail, of a plate arranged transversely thereof, and having a transverse rib on each side of the rail, said plate having means whereby it may be secured to a tie, a bar pivoted near each side edge of the plate on each side of the rail by one end, the said end abutting against the rib and the inner end underlying the rail, and" having an inclined transverse rib abutting against the edge of the said base, the bars, on the same side of the rail converging toward the rail.

8. The combination with the rail, of a plate underlying the same transverselyand provided with means whereby it may be secured to a tie, a pair of bars pivoted by one end to the plate near each side edge thereof, and on each side of the rail, the inner end of each of said bars underlying the rail base and having a transvers rib on its upper face against which the edge of the base abuts, the members of each pair of bars converging toward the rail.

9. A device of 'the character specified, comprising a plate having means whereby it may be secured to a tie, and adapted to be arranged transversely of a rail, a pair of bars pivoted to each end of the bar b one end and adapted to underlie the rail at the opposite end, each bar having a inner end adapted to underlie the rail and t having on its upper face a transverse rib arranged at an angle to the longitudinal center of the bar and adapted to abut against the edge of the rail base, the ribs of the bars on the same side of the rail being inclined in opposite directions, whereby to cause said bars t0..be inclined with respect to each other when the ribs engage the rail.

11. A device of the character specified, comprising a plate having means whereby it may be secured to a tie, and adapted to be arranged transversely of a rail, a pair of bars pivoted to each end of the plate by one end and adapted tounderlie the rail at the opposite end, each bar having a transverse rib on its upper face adapted to abut against'the edge of the rail base, the bars on the same side of the rail converging at the end adjacent to the rail when en gaged therewith.

12. The combination with the rail, of a plate adapted to underlie the rail, a pair of bars pivoted to the plate on each side of the rail and each adapted to engage the rail with its free end, the bars on each side of the rail being inclined to the .rail in opposite directions and converging toward their free ends.

13. The combination with the rail, of .a plate adapted to underlie the rail, a pair of bars pivoted to the plate on each side of the rail and each adapted to engage the rail with its free end, the bars on each side of the rail being inclined to the rail in opposite directions.

WESLEY VANDERCOOK, JR.

Witnesses:

L. F. JOHNSON, S. A. MAYO.

Homes of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

